Reeling contenders SSC Napoli (21-5-7, 70 points) is starting to feel the absence of 2015-2016 Serie A season top scorer Gonzalo Higuaín as they have lost twice in their last three outings. The team squares off with lowly squad Bologna FC (10-16-7, 37 points) on Tuesday, April 19th at their home field of San Paolo Stadium.
Napoli lost Higuaín to a four-game ban following their upset defeat to Udinese on April 3rd. Higuaín had dropped his cool after he was sent off late in the game with the Zebrette already up 3-1, pushing the referee and several opposing players. It resulted not only in the customary one-game ban for a red card but an additional three-game suspension for his wild uproar.
With that, Partenopei's chances at dethroning Juventus had virtually gone down to zero but they will still try to retain their second spot in the standings until the end of the season.
Head coach Maurizio Sarri's boys were defeated by another contending side, Inter Milan, 0-2, last Saturday on the road at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, as reported by Goal.
Striker Mauro Icardi and midfielder Marcelo Brozovic provided the two goals for I Nerazzurri at the fourth and 44th minutes to hand Napoli their second loss in their last three games, dropping them nine points behind La Vecchia Signora in the current league table with only five matchdays left in the season.
Inter is still also nine points behind Napoli while third-running team AS Roma is only five points adrift of Gli Azzurri.
Meanwhile, Bologna was nipped by Torino, 0-1, last Saturday at their home ground of Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, as per ESPN.
The match almost ended in a goalless tie as both teams did not score in the first 90 minutes. However, forward Andrea Belotti netted the winner in stoppage time to extend I Rossoblu's winless slide to eight games.
Head coach Roberto Donadoni's boys are now at the 13th spot of the league table, precariously seven points above the bottom three relegation zone with five games left in their current campaign.
The predicted result is a 1-0 victory for Napoli.
Napoli starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Reina; Soderlund, Albiol, Koulibaly, Strinic; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Gabbiadini, Insigne
Bologna starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Mirante; Oikonomou, Rossettini, Maietta, Constant; Turan, Diawara, Brienza; Rizzo, Floccari, Giaccherini